Políticas públicas e desenvolvimento rural: análise do Programa de Inclusão Econômica para Famílias e Comunidades Rurais (ACCESOS) na Bolívia entre 2013 e 2019

Abstract

Sustainable rural development is one of the fundamental pillars for promoting fairer, more inclusive, and balanced societies, especially in countries like Bolivia, where family farming plays a strategic role in food production, environmental preservation, and the maintenance of the cultural identity of rural communities. In this context, the main objective of this thesis is to carry out a critical analysis of the Economic Inclusion Program for Rural Families and Communities (ACCESOS), implemented in Bolivia between 2013 and 2019, aiming to understand its scope, contributions, and limitations as a public policy aimed at strengthening sustainable rural development and, in particular, family farming. The research was conducted using a theoretical-analytical and documentary approach. Initially, a bibliographic review was carried out on the concepts of rural development, family farming, and public policies, also addressing the historical and contemporary transformations of these issues in Latin America and Bolivia. Subsequently, the work focused on analyzing the Bolivian socioeconomic context and the public policies implemented since the beginning of the 21st century aimed at the rural sector. Finally, a specific analysis of the ACCESOS program was conducted, based mainly on its official final report. The results of the research indicate that ACCESOS represented a relevant effort in combating rural poverty and promoting the productive inclusion of farming families through initiatives aimed at improving infrastructure, market access, organizational strengthening, and technical training. However, important limitations were also identified, such as a shortage of financial resources, institutional fragility, and difficulties in coordination between different levels of government. Moreover, although the contributions of the program were positive, they were insufficient to overcome the structural challenges that have historically affected the Bolivian rural sector. Based on this scenario, it is concluded that although ACCESOS generated specific advances, its impact on strengthening sustainable rural development was limited, reflecting broader difficulties within public policies in the country. Therefore, it is necessary to develop more integrated and sustainable strategies capable of consolidating family farming as a central pillar of an inclusive and long-lasting rural development model.